Warm Up to a Bowl of Ratatouille!

Winter storm Nemo spared our area, with just about 5 inches of snow after an anticipated foot or more. We were prepared for a bigger dumping, but are relieved because it could have been much more difficult, realizing that coastal areas of New York and New England really got hit hard.  Russ (my bf) is in Bridgeport, CT, this weekend, and that area is in a state of emergency with reports of up to 3 feet of snow!

Figuring that this would be a snow-bound weekend, I prepared a big pot of ratatouille.  It's such a simple recipe, basically a stew/soup of chunky vegetables immersed in a tomato sauce.  In the middle of winter, it's like a warm serving of summer with a sprinkling of parmesan.  We're so fortunate to find fresh vegetables like zucchini and peppers in February!  And even better, it's so completely healthy!  With just a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, the vegetables join together to eventually simmer into a beautiful medley of fresh flavor. I can't wait to wrap my hands around a warm bowl!  (I even added some of the vegetables from the pot to an egg-white omelet this morning, making for a mighty fine breakfast!)

My car under the snow!

Here's my version of the recipe, with a couple of photos to bring summer's color to this snowy-white day!

RATATOUILLE

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 sweet onions, cut in wedges
2 small zucchini, cut in 1/2 inch slices
2 small yellow squash, cut in 1/2 inch slices
1 each -- green, red, yellow peppers, cut in 1/2 inch chunks
8 ounces mushrooms (I used baby bella)
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 4 ounce can tomato paste, with seasoning (Italian herbs, etc.)
3 cups water or vegetable stock
Parmesan cheese

Add olive oil to large, heavy pot or dutch oven.  Add cut-up vegetables and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables wilt and zucchini and squash are translucent.  Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and mushrooms.  Add water or stock.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer slowly, stirring now and then, for a few hours.

Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Waiting for Nemo and Planning A Cozy Weekend

Schools were closed in this area of upstate New York today, in anticipation of a winter storm named Nemo.  It's almost 6:40 pm, and Nemo has, so far,  only whispered that he's planning to show up. From weather reports on television, he may not hit with full force until very late tonight, and 8-14 inches of snow are predicted for Middle Grove.  I'm grateful I was able to get to and from work without having to deal with him while I was on the road.

When I arrived home, I visited Katie, Bill, and the boys in their part of the house.  They were sitting down to a dinner of Shepherd's Pie (beautiful!), and I was so happy to hear Katie say she made a dinner for me, too (such a sweet daughter I have!).  She had steamed french-style green beans as well as a generous serving of shrimp. This was especially kind since it seems my days of indulging in such great meals as Shepherd's Pie are over, as I have been recently diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes, type 2.  Fortunately, it has been discovered early enough that I can avoid medications and injections, as long as I do what I'm instructed. There have been many medical appointments, and I feel very "high maintenance" right now, something not my usual style. But, I have decided to let the experts direct this course of my life, to use their experience to show me how to live from this moment on.  Much will change, beginning with the foods I buy at the market, the meals I prepare for myself, and even my relationships around baking.  It was necessary to end a long and cherished business relationship with a family I baked for, for years. I am sad about that, but to bake that much, that often is not in the best interest of my health.  I will continue to bake cakes for friends and family, but will not be baking the same standard goodies as often (but will now and then, and donate to friends at work!). Instead, I will be concentrating on made-over and delicious offerings of favorite foods that will become new standards in my recipe box.

For now, I'm limited to mostly vegetables and protein, just for the first few weeks. Very low carb living for the immediate future. It's been going well so far, though it's just been a few days. I will very slowly, very gradually bring whole grains and fruits back in to the fold, but not yet.  It will be so nice to crave an orange instead of a cookie! My nutritionist said that it only takes three days to break the carb addiction, and believe me, I am SO addicted to carbs that I could use a 28-day residential detox program! I was joking with my good friend Liz that I would love to be "committed" to a month-long stint at Canyon Ranch in Arizona, where all healthy meals and planned activities would be scheduled and followed in grateful bliss!  Who wouldn't want a month of such self-indulgence?

Well, this isn't Arizona and the therapeutic warmth of real sunshine seems months away, so I will comfort myself this weekend with fuzzy socks, a warm robe, and maybe even pajamas all day! Tomorrow morning I'm putting a big pot of ratatouille on to cook long and slow, and will so appreciate the warmth and goodness of such a satisfying dish. I'll take photos and post the recipe as I go along. I have always loved ratatouille.  This time I'm making it with zucchini, yellow squash, onions, and peppers -- green, red, and yellow.  To that, I'll add tomatoes and baby bella mushrooms, and let it simmer all day. Each serving will come to life with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Wherever you are this weekend, get cozy, relax, and enjoy some time for yourself.  And please do follow along on this new healthy journey of mine. I'm so inspired, and I hope that the foods and recipes I post along the way will be inspiring to others, as well.

Take care!

Zucchini Everywhere? Ratatouille and Chocolate Zucchini Cake!

No matter how few zucchini plants a gardener grows, there always seems to be an over-abundance of the prolific vegetable. People bring brown bags full of zucchini to work, offering them to anyone who will take them! These unwanted zucchini can be turned into wonderful dishes. I had a neighbor who used to beg for my garden’s zucchini blossoms, and I had to be sure to give her the “male” blossoms because once their job was over, well, they could be dismissed. She’d batter the blossoms and fry them in olive oil, evoking memories of childhood in her Italian family.

We grilled zucchini over the weekend. My daughter sliced it in ¼ inch slices lengthwise, and drizzled it with olive oil. I grilled it on both sides, just until each side had nice grill marks. Sprinkled with just a little salt and pepper, it was delicious “as is.” You don’t have to do a lot to zucchini to enjoy it, but it plays nicely with a lot of other vegetables and ingredients.

This post features recipes for Ratatouille Stew and Chocolate Zucchini Bread (more like cake). Both are highly-rated, adapted from Eating Well, and will make great use of the many zucchini sitting on your back porch (or in a brown bag on your desk), waiting to be appreciated. Here the zucchini is granted the honor it deserves!

Ratatouille Stew
Makes 10 side-dish servings (5 main-dish)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 red and/or yellow bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed (I'd leave this out!)
1 medium eggplant, diced
2 large zucchini, diced
6 medium ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped (you can substitute canned)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and bell peppers; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl.
3. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until browned in places, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the vegetables.
4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until browned in places, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, thyme and the reserved vegetables and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven.
5. Bake the ratatouille, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread
(makes 2 loaves)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (1 3/4 ounces)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-process
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted (or 1/3 cup melted semi-sweet chocolate chips)
2 cups grated zucchini (1 medium)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
2. Spread walnuts in a pie pan and bake until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
4. Whisk eggs, sugar, applesauce, oil, vanilla and melted chocolate in another large bowl until blended. Add to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in zucchini and the reserved walnuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, smoothing the tops.
5. Bake the loaves 55 to 60 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto rack and cool completely.

Photo credit: http://www.nowhiningdining.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/zucchini_img_8322_.jpg